Be the change – Page 44

Be the change, Student-centered, Uncategorized

So My Students Cheered for Spelling

April 2, 2014April 2, 2014 Pernille Ripp

“But Mrs. Ripp, we missed spelling!” Not said with a smile, not said with excitement, but rather with disappointment laced in their voice. I smiled, that was the first time a student had ever been upset that we hadn’t done spelling.

On my mission to bring more joy into our classroom, I knew I had to drastically change our spelling program. When my students blog, many times spelling is brought up as the ultimate boredom introducer. A hassle that they don’t see the need for, or at least not in the format that I teach it. Every year I have changed the way I do spelling, every year I have tried to make it more relevant, more transferable, more exciting for the students. Yet my attempts have fallen flat. Students just did not like spelling. So over break I decided to throw it all out and rethink how to do it. This is what I came up with:

Make it a team challenge, students are in teams of 4 or 5 that will change every week so no team has an advantage.
Rather than make spelling about normal memorization, make it about word understanding instead, focusing on root words and opening up language discussions in the classroom.

Weekly Breakdown:

Make sense Monday – this is the day to discover the meaning, the origin, and come up with examples for the 10 root words posted in the classroom. Student teams are given one device to look up their words and can then decide how they want to memorize it.
Try it Out Tuesday – 5 minutes for team charades and then classroom charades for another 5 minutes where students have to guess the root word.
Word Jeopardy Wednesday – I created a Jeopardy game for the teams to do, they keep their own score if they want.
Test Your Knowledge Thursday – Teams concoct their own quizzes to test each other’s knowledge of the 10 root words.
Flaunt it Friday – Each student is tested on their knowledge. Students are asked to write down the root word, its origin, its meaning and then give me 2 examples of words with that root word. Scores will be added up for the team and then averaged, this becomes the score for the test for the team.

So why the team approach? Because I needed students to get excited and this group of kids love a good challenge where they work together.

Why the team grade? Because I wanted the students to push each other for a deeper understanding. Because I don’t use grades in my room much the students don’t care much about their grade but they still like knowing how they fared on the quiz.

Why the competition? Because this group of kids likes competition and I knew it would light a fire under them.

If you walked into my room during our spelling time, you wouldn’t guess that is what we are doing. The students are so excited, animated, and kind of loud getting the words down. And the conversations are a thrill to hear, so many lightbulb moments making word connections. And those kids that never did their spelling, yup, they are into it too.

I should have done this a long time ago.

Here is a video from our Try it out Tuesday

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, being me, Student-centered

Pre-Buy Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom back to Our Students

March 31, 2014April 3, 2014 Pernille Ripp

The day has finally arrived! My first book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom back to Our Students” is available for pre-buy starting today! This book has been wonderful to write and I am so excited to finally have it ready. I hope you will consider reading it if you like reading my blog. Here is a little more information about it:

From Powerful Learning Press – my incredible publisher

Breaking the rules is scary within the public school system, no matter how few or many years you have taught. We are indoctrinated about how a traditional classroom should look, starting with our own school days and then on through college classes and early professional careers. When we bring new ideas, or even just trust our instincts, we often think that what we want to try will never really work.

Pressure from schools and districts to conform — from the government and the tests — and sometimes even from colleagues who want us all to just stay the same — none of that helps as we think about changing our practice. Sometimes we give up before we even make the attempt, because we are pretty sure the barriers and pushback will be insurmountable.

In Pernille Ripp’s own teaching practice, what she discovered was this: Even the smallest changes can make monumental differences. And then you keep on until you create something new. Trusting yourself and your students and sharing the power of the classroom with them can lead to great teaching and learning even within the boundaries of our confining standards, testing obsessions and mandatory curriculums.

In Passionate Learners: Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students, Pernille shares what and how she changed—and how her students changed with her. We learn about the little and not-so-little things she did over the course of a transformational year, so that she could shift the responsibility for learning – the joy and wonder of it – to the kids themselves.

“I believed that I knew exactly what the students needed, if only they would listen. Now I know that a classroom has to be vibrant for students to invest their time and effort. We cannot force children to learn. They have to discover things and be teachers too.” -Pernille Ripp

Whether you are just beginning or well on your way in your teaching career, this book can inspire you to break rules, take risks, and eagerly pursue your journey toward a classroom filled with passionate learners.

At the very least, it will let you know that you are not alone when you think your secret thoughts—that there really are better ways to teach, and that others who believe the same thing want to connect with you to make it happen.

Save with this coupon code

To celebrate the pre-launch of this exciting book for educators, Powerful Learning Press is offering a $3 discount through April 7. Use our coupon code PREBUY at checkout to save $3. One week only, beginning March 31! Go to the PLPress online store to buy now.

Be the change, being me, happiness, reflection, Student-centered

How I Brought Back Joy in My Classroom

March 28, 2014April 1, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I continue to ponder the concept of joy in schools and more so the seeming lack of it. Yet, I look at my own classroom and I know that we have a lot of joy. Not all the time, not in everything we do, but there is a lot of joy in what we do. It wasn’t always like that, when I taught traditionally, joy was not on my priority list when I planned. If something happened to be fun I felt rather guilty since it probably meant I wasn’t getting the educational value across to my students. Now I know better.

Joy is something I try to create, as funny as that sounds. Yet by now I know what makes my students happy and I try to incorporate it as much as possible. So what are some of the things that bring us joy?

Picture books. Many 5th graders think picture books are for little kids but not in this room. We cherish the arrival of new ones and laugh outloud whenever we can. Taking 5 minutes to share a great one can boost us all.
Making mistakes. I make the stupidest mistakes at times but I laugh outloud about it too and make sure the kids know. We have to be able to giggle about ourselves for others to realize it is okay to laugh with us.
Challenges. I try to concoct bi-weekly challenges for my students that focus on community and perseverance. Often they are inane and I make them hard, not to test my kids but to push them further. Our latest boat challenge was a blast and I am already rummaging through my closets trying to think up the next one.
Meditation. After being inspired to bring back more mindfulness we have been doing 3 minute meditation sessions after math to center us for the rest of the day. I know it is supposed to be quiet breathing but we have hard time not cracking up at some of the instructions. Why shush them when laughter also centers them?
Dance breaks. Singing and dancing are something I relish as an adult so if we are feeling down or extra restless I know what we need.

These things may seem like extra things and you are right, what about my core instruction, what’s so joyful about that?

The one thing that has brought more joy into our classroom is simply giving shared control to the students. These few changes have had an incredible impact in our room:

Student voice. Meaning that students have the right to an opinion in everything we do.
Student choice. Whether it is what they are creating, how they are creating it, or who they are creating it with – student choice is essential in my room.
No punishment. My students don’t get punished, I tend not to take things away such as recess, field trips or special moments. It’s not that they are angels, we just figure out a way to work through bad moments.
No grades. My students don’t work for grades, they work for understanding. There is a big difference and it is something we cultivate throughout the year.
Lack of knowledge. I don’t know everything and I tell my students that so we have to figure it out together.
Curiosity. I am very curios as are my students so we have to take time to explore some of the things we are curious about. Whether it is through genius hour, project time or simply stopping what we are doing to veer off the path, we allow it and we embrace it.
Global connections. My students reaching out to teach others or ask others is a big part of our room and something that brings us happiness. We try to incorporate some sort of global connection in most things we do, as long as it makes sense.

Yet I am not there yet. There are still moments of dreadfulness in my classroom. Spelling used to be one of them, and because of that I have completely revamped the program starting Monday, I will let you know if it makes a difference. So while not everything is joyful yet, I feel like we are on the right path. Are you? Is there room for joy in your classroom? How do you teach for it?

The student who memorized the most numbers of pi got to throw a pie in my face on my birthday

Be the change, happiness, reflection, Student-centered

Are You a Joy Remover?

March 25, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Dean Shareski asked me (and many others) yesterday, “Whatever happened to joy?” A simple question really that should be easy to answer if you are a teacher – it’s right in our classrooms – but then again, one that requires more thought. Is joy really prevalent in our classrooms? Or is it reserved for special occasions or for those students who earn it?

Joy is often associated with special events in a classroom. We earn our joy and happiness through parties. When I gave up punishment and rewards, I didn’t get rid of joy, I just tried to make sure it was always present rather than something we marked on the calendar. And yet, in today’s learning environment we seem to reserve joy not just to special occasions but also to those who we find deserving of it. If a child is behind academically, joy is often one of the things we unintentionally remove from their day. We pull them out of specials for interventions. We take away their independent reading time to give more instruction. We take away recess and field trips due to poor behavior or more instruction. We have them work on missed homework rather than the challenge the other students are doing. Their joy in the classroom deemed unnecessary because joy does not lead to academic achievement.

And yet, these kids that struggle are exactly the kids that need more joy in school. They are the ones that we need to stay invested and engaged, not just the kid that is already mastering everything we present them with. They are the ones that need to realize the worth of school, that need to believe that school is worth their time and effort, and that they will get to do the exact same things as everyone else around them. That they will not be singled out once again for their supposed shortcomings, but rather treated as an equal that deserves to have as much fun learning as everyone else.

We know that students who struggle often act out to hide their deficit, so why is it we continue to punish rather than help? Why is it we continue to believe that if we just give them stricter consequences we will finally break their will and they will work better, hand in their homework, or try harder? These kids are the ones that need to find the joy in school, these kids are the ones who need it the most. So what are we doing to provide it?

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” will be released April 23rd from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, reflection, Student-centered

We Must Create Room for Failure and Mean It

March 22, 2014 Pernille Ripp

“…I failed…” the disappointment leaks from my student as he looks at his contraption.

I am stopped by his words because it is March and we have been trying to embrace failure since September. Failure is our friend, failure is something we learn from. Failure is not the “f” word. Not in this room.

And yet, here he sits, so upset with himself that I am not even sure I have the words to fix it.

I am reminded that embracing failure is not just a line we say to our students. We must fully live it out in our rooms. We must admit our own failures, I know I do, and then celebrate the learning that happens from them. But more importantly we must assess students not just on how successful they were with something but also their persistence in trying. We must move away from the thinking that to succeed means that the project or product is correct and adopt the notion that success can take on many shapes. That perhaps success to one child is that they didn’t give up. To another that they attempted in the first place.

This is not to say that students should not be pushed to succeed. Of course they should. All students need success in order to continue learning. But it is to say that we need to assess students on more than their successes. That we need a whole child approach that celebrates all of the steps in the journey without reducing them to just a little number. Grades or numbers can never do that for us but our words can.

It took me a few seconds but I finally found the words to say. “You didn’t fail, you tried and it didn’t work. There is a big difference. Now what can we do to make it better?” I walk away and give him time to think.

At the end of the day he comes up, says “I am taking it home to show my brother, I think I found a way to fix it.” He smiles and leaves.

Failure is not something we should just pretend to accept – our actions, our words, our assessments must embrace it to. We must celebrate the failures and give students time to learn from them. We must discuss the growth, the trial, and the ideas. We must be more than a motivational poster.

Be the change, rewards

My Barren Wasteland – A Room Without Rewards

March 6, 2014 Pernille Ripp

When I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress last summer I mistakenly assumed that all posts would seamlessly transfer. I have since found the error in my thinking and have decided to re-post some of my more discussed posts that didn’t survive the move. This is one of those posts.

A barren wasteland with no smiling allowed. A silent classroom with a teacher standing sternly at the front slapping a ruler against their palm waiting for the next kid that dares to actually have a good time. These are all images people tend to get when I say I do not believe in rewards.

Recently I wrote a post detailing how I reward my students through time rather than extrinsic motivators. One comment I received asked me whether I believed in whole classroom rewards or not, which is a question I often get. The answer is no. I don’t believe in the idea of rewards and agree with Alfie Kohn when he states that “Rewards and punishment are ways of manipulating behavior that destroy the potential for real learning.”

I believe that rewards twist the focus of the classroom and provides students with a false reason to want to engage. I believe that rewards always end up benefiting the same students and some are always left out. I know some will say that classroom rewards are the answer to that inequity, but ask yourself; how often have you taken away classroom points or not given marbles based on the actions of one kid or just a couple? I know I used to even though it did not reflect the behavior of the whole classroom. So you still produce an inequity because the other kids certainly know who it is that makes them lose points and believe me that plays into social situations sooner or later.

The bottom line for me is when we perpetually stick a carrot in front of students faces whether it be through points, letters, or marbles, we are teaching them that they should not do anything without a reward. So while in the short term it may work to have kids get points to earn something as a classroom, in the long run it is not shaping their behavior to want to behave simply for the greater good. I need kids that want to be in my classroom and I expect kids to take responsibility for their behaviors. So I do not make kids “earn” anything in the reward sense, and I do not single out kids. Instead we celebrate class-wide whenever an occasion arises. Celebrations are given not earned and they can be based on whether we have achieved something or it is a certain time of year. Often students and I discuss how we should celebrate something and it is never ever taken away from them. I never use it is a way to manipulate their behavior or to point out anything. We simply celebrate, and there is always a lot to celebrate!

So while classroom rewards may seem harmless, think of what it projects. Think of what message it really is sending the students. Are we trying to tell them that we do not expect them to behave without some sort of reward? Are we trying to tell them that society will always reward them extrinsically whenever they do what is expected of them, because if we are, those kids will be mightily disappointed in adult life.